


V is for Veridian

by Dusty_Skyes



Series: Letters of the Rainbow [22]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Betrayal, Ghosts, How Do I Tag This, M/M, fairy rings, falling in love with a ghost, founder's era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 14:25:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9661256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusty_Skyes/pseuds/Dusty_Skyes
Summary: Betrayal of the heart + a fairy ring at midnight  = Harry having a bad day.He's blue. And transparent. Because apparently fairy rings can kill you now.





	

 

* * *

 

War sucked. There was no-one who knew that better than 29 year old Hadrian Potter himself. The brunet sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair and stared at himself in the mirror. He'd gotten rid of the glasses years ago, leaving his big, green eyes as the highlight of his face. It also helped that after the death of Voldemort, his scar had swiftly faded away, though the ability to speak Parseltongue remained. Not like Hadrian minded though, as serpents were often better company that humans. Dragons, too, and it had been a surprise to learn that he could speak to _dragons_. He glanced up and was about to head down the hallway towards his and Ginny's room when he paused, hearing voices. Including a familiar one that belonged to a person who should have died years ago.

“Well done on marrying the brat, Ginny,” Albus Dumbledore said softly. “Now that he's comfortable, you can proceed onto the second part of the plan.”

“Of course, Headmaster,” Ginny said. “We kill him and split the money.”

“It's the least we deserve,” Ron grumbled, “after putting up with his lying ass for all these years.”

Hermione chided him softly, saying, “Hush, Ronald. Yes, he's a lying, attention-seeking brat, but he was needed as a martyr.” Hadrian stumbled back from the doorway just in time to hear Ginny say that he didn't deserve love, the freak that he was. He swallowed, green eyes welling with tears and fled from the house, not even bothering to collect anything. Not even his wand, cloak or ring. They'd follow him wherever he went.  _That_ he was sure of. 

Hadrian stumbled through the nearby woods, tears and darkness blurring his vision. Eventually he stopped and crumpled at the base of a tree, not noticing the small ring of mushrooms surrounding him. He cried for a long time, stunned beyond belief that they of all people would do that to him. A hiccup escaped his lips and the brunet furiously wiped at his eyes. Betrayal always hurt. Especially from loved ones. Hadrian sniffed once more and glanced around, noting for the first time the fairy ring that surrounded him. “Oh, _shit_ ,” he breathed. A small, male fairy landed on his nose and he nearly went cross eyed trying to look at him.

“ _Hello_ ,” the small being said. “ _What are you doing crying in our circle?_ ”

Hadrian didn't know why, but the whole story burst forth, everything from his childhood on. “I don't know what to do now,” he said softly. “I'm lost.”

“ _Oh_ ,” the fairy said. “ _Well, if you're lost, then you need to go to someplace new to find yourself_ .” And with that, he bled a little on the fairy ring and activated it. “ _Goodbye, Hadrian Potter_ .” He waved quietly and that was the last thing Hadrian saw before it all went dark. 

**oOo**

“I'm telling you,” Godric said with a sigh, “this land is perfect for the school. You just need to see it.”

“I don't know,” Helga murmured. “Scotland seems awfully cold for a school of students.”

Godric threw up his hands in frustration. “That does it. I give up. Salazar, your turn.”

Salazar looked up from his book and frowned. “My turn for what? Didn't Rowena tell you? We agreed to use the land up there two weeks ago and had the castle built. Helga's just jerking your chain for no reason.” Godric gaped for a few seconds then turned a blistering glare on Helga who just smiled serenely back.

“You people are horrible,” he said. “In any case, how about we head up there now to see how it looks?”

“Fine with me,” Salazar said and snapped his book shut. He slipped it into a pocket and stood up before striding over to Helga and gracefully helping her to her feet. “I'm going to assume that Rowena is already there?”

“Yes,” Godric said as the three of them strode out of the room.

**oOo**

Rowena was waiting for them at the door of the castle when they arrived. “Two things,” she said as she smoothed out her dress. “One: doesn't it look wonderful?”

“Oh, yes,” Helga returned. “It does.”

Salazar, however, rose a single brow. “And the second thing?”

She wrung her hands nervously. “I think we have a ghost.”

“Already?” Godric asked.

Rowena nodded. “Yes. It seems to roam the corridors, occasionally brushing its hand against something. Seems disappointed every time its hand goes through the object.”

“It?”

Lady Ravenclaw shrugged. “It disappears every time I get close so I've never been able to see anything more than a blurry silhouette. I'm fairly certain it's male, but no reason to guess.”

The two men glanced at each other and then shrugged. “I suppose we'll run into it eventually,” Salazar said. “Until then, just go about your daily routine.”

**oOo**

Salazar was the first to meet the castle's resident spook. He'd just opened the door to his rooms and stepped out, nose buried in a book, only to freeze when it felt like he had suddenly been dumped in ice water. The book fell from his limp hands and he began swearing softly in Parseltongue when he heard it hit the ground. Salazar bent down to pick it up. _“I do apologize, Salazar Slytherin.”_ He froze and stood up, coming face to face with the spectral being he had seen roaming the halls many times.

“You!” he shrieked inelegantly as he stumbled backwards and practically fell over his feet in an attempt to put some distance between them.

The ghost tilted its-– _no,_ Salazar thought, _his. He's male-–_ head and blinked curiously at him. _“Me,”_ he agreed. _“I apologize for startling you, Slytherin. I am Hadrian.”_

“How do you know my last name? As far as I know, you've never spoken to any of us.” Salazar began to stride down the corridor, book under his arm and the spirit floating easily beside him.

_“I am a spirit. I'm connected to the past, the present, and the future. I know everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen. Or at least, I like to think I do.”_

Salazar rolled his eyes. _**§**_ **Great,** _ **§**_ he muttered in Parseltongue. _**§**_ **An egotistical spirit. Just what we needed right now.** _ **§**_

_**§Now, now. That's no way to speak to someone,§**_ the spirit returned.

Salazar stumbled and gaped at him, though he would deny doing so until his final breath. “You speak Parseltongue?”

_“Indeed. I do. I speak many languages, most of them the languages of Beings. I respect them for who they are and bother to learn their language. At least, I did when I was still alive.”_

“And how did you die?”

_“A combination of grief, betrayal, rage, and a fairy circle.”_ He reached out to touch a suit of armor and smiled weakly when his hand didn't sink through it. _“Right now I'm trying to solidify myself enough to touch things. It's hard, but doable.”_

Salazar watched with interest before turning around and opening the doors to the Great Hall. The others were inside and they looked up as he came in. “I met our resident spirit,” he called down to them as he strode closer. Said ghost floated in behind him and laughed softly.

_“Hello, little ones,”_ he said and glanced up at the ceiling. _“So young, and yet she already has a spirit.”_

A rush of emotions curled around them, ones that were not their own, and Rowena gasped. “Was that the castle?”

_“Indeed,”_ the ghost said. _“She's welcoming you home. Hello to you, too, Hogwarts.”_

**oOo**

Salazar glanced up when the last of the students had filed into the room and the bell rang. “Good morning,” he said and stood up. “Welcome to your first Potions class of the year. I am Professor Slytherin, and would appreciate if you would address me as such.” He was about to say more when Hadrian phased through a nearby wall and startled several of the students.

The spirit glanced at them and then back to Salazar. _“I apologize, Salazar. Are you busy?”_

Slytherin rubbed his eyes and then glanced at the class. “Read the first chapter of your books while I take care of this.” He turned to face Hadrian and shooed the shot towards his office. Once inside, he Silenced the room and glanced at the other. “Yes?”

Hadrian grinned widely and solidified completely. Skin shaded in and his glowing eyes darkened to the color of grass. “Look,” he said. “I figured out how to do it.”

“That's wonderful,” Salazar said, “but did you have to interrupt my class?”

“Yes,” Hadrian muttered. “Godric wouldn't care. Helga might. Rowena would be more interested in the process than the finished results and I _had_ to show someone. You were the best choice.” He then smiled. “And now I can do this.” Hadrian leaned forward and pressed his lips to Salazar's own. “I really like you.”

Salazar let out a low gasp and blinked rapidly for a moment. Then his face softened and he laughed. “All right. Drop by after this class is done and we'll talk more, okay?”

Hadrian smirked and lost his solid form. _“Perfect,”_ he said seconds before he vanished through a nearby wall. _“I'll see you then, gorgeous.”_

Salazar returned to the classroom with red cheeks and tried not to think of that wonderful smile.

He failed miserably.

 


End file.
